I’m embarrassed to say that these Oliver + SAfter School shirts have been cut out and sitting around since October. We took a trip to San Francisco, then came the holidays, then a new baby, and my poor sewing machine sat neglected for quite some time. Simultaneously, Elise was rapidly sprouting, and all of her clothes are either too small, too short, or worn out.

The wide neck and the yoke really of this top caught my attention, and thought it would be a good opportunity to try out my snap press with some pretty metal snaps. My thinking was that it would save time in construction, as well as in dressing her. Only half this theory proved to be correct, as my dread of learning to use it (or messing it up, rather) caused me to keep putting it off. It ended up being so much easier than I thought it would be, and I think it gives the shirts a store-bought appearance, and really is so quick to open and close on a very active toddler. She even wants to help, of course. I’ve found the snaps to be very forgiving, which helps.

Two of the tops were made with prints from Fabric Finders. Their poplin is fantastic for apparel, as it’s really got a great hand, and a nice weight to it. The best part is that their fabric is 58″ wide, so you almost always have enough fabric in one yard to make just about any toddler outfit.

Although Elise is a peanut, she has a long-ish torso (plus an adorable pot belly), and I find that most tops, even 2T, are too short. Since I had cut this out months ago, it was no surprise that I needed to add a little length. That extra width comes in handy in situations like these, and the fabric that I needed to add the ruffle was no problem. You can see in the third print (Sandi Henderson’s Ginger Blossom) that the ruffle isn’t nearly as full, but still cute, and gets the job done.

Lastly, I did my new favorite modification, and that is to make gathered sleeves. It’s just a simple adjustment that makes toddler clothes that much easier to live in. Click here for my basic instructions. See how nicely they stay up? and out of the way? and clean? You’ll just have to take my word for it then.

We are trying to wean her off the pacifier, and only let her have it at nap time and bedtime. We store them in a drawer, and she knows where they’re kept. Here she is digging for some…

Hi, I'm Melissa. Thanks for stopping by! I'm a mom of two girls trying to strike a balance between all my loves: motherhood, marriage and creating. When I'm able to steal a free moment, I can be found sewing, quilting, or attempting to learn watercolor and calligraphy - I would take on all the hobbies if I could!